Deploying Connect extensions in closed environments

Locked-down or enterprise environments without access to the public internet generally require special steps to acquire and enable Connect web extensions. Depending on OS platform and browser, there are various methods for doing so.

Chrome

Method: Manual deployment by using drag-and-drop

  1. Download the Connect extension CRX file from Google. To do so, right-click the following link and select Save Link As: Connect extension for Chrome
  2. Open chrome://extensions
  3. Enable developer mode.
  4. Drag-and-drop the CRX file into the chrome://extensions window to install.

Method: Background deployment through preference file

Requires network access to the Chrome update URLs located here: https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx

  1. For user installation, run the following script:
    #!/usr/bin/env bash
EXT_ROOT="$HOME/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/External Extensions"
mkdir -p "$EXT_ROOT"
echo '{ "external_update_url": "https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx" }' > "$EXT_ROOT/kpoecbkildamnnchnlgoboipnblgikpn.json"
  2. For machine installs, run this script by using sudo:
    #!/usr/bin/env bash
EXT_ROOT="/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/External Extensions"
mkdir -p "$EXT_ROOT"
echo '{ "external_update_url": "https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx" }' > "$EXT_ROOT/kpoecbkildamnnchnlgoboipnblgikpn.json"
  3. Restart Chrome.
  4. On startup, the extension must be enabled:
    IBM Aspera Connect added. Another program on your computer added an extension that may change the way Chrome works. It can: Read and change your data on the websites you visit. Communicate with cooperating native applications.
Note: If a user explicitly removes the extension, they are not prompted again and the extension is not installed.

Firefox

Method: Manual deployment

  1. Download the Connect extension XPI file from Mozilla. To do so, right-click this link Connect extension for Mozilla and select Save Link As.
  2. Open about:addons
  3. From the menu, select Install add-on from file.

Method: Deploying Aspera Connect add-on with custom build of Firefox

See Mozilla documentation: Extensions for your enterprise.

Edge

Edge uses the Connect Chrome extension, which can be deployed by using the Windows registry.

Method: Background deployment through Windows registry

The following procedure is based on instructions that are found on the official Microsoft website: Alternative ways to distribute extensions.

  1. Find or create this key in the registry:
    32-bit Windows: 
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Edge\Extensions

    64-bit Windows:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Edge\Extensions
  2. Under the Extensions key, create a new key (folder) with the extension ID as the name: kpoecbkildamnnchnlgoboipnblgikpn
    • In your extension key, create a new string value, update_url, and set the value to the Chrome Web Store update URL:
      https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx
    • Start the browser and go to edge://extensions. You must now see the extension listed.

Allowlisting the Chrome extension

By default, all Chrome extensions that are allowlisted. However, if your organization blocklists all extensions by policy, you can override the blocklist and allow the Connect extension to be installed by adding it to the allowlist. For more information, see ExtensionInstallAllowlist.

The following instructional links also include information on other extension-related policy settings that you can use to enable automatically install Chrome, force-install Chrome, and other tasks.

Note: These policies are intended strictly for configuring instances of Google Chrome internal to your organization. Use of these policies outside of your organization (for example, in a publicly distributed program) is considered malware and will likely be labeled as malware by Google and anti-virus vendors.

Provisioning policy by using Chrome policy templates

  1. Install Chrome policy templates: Detailed instructions at: Set Chrome Browser policies on managed PCs.
  2. Set Chrome extension policies. Detailed instructions at: Set Chrome app and extension policies (Mac).
    1. Create a file com.google.chrome.plist in the following location: 
      /Library/Managed Preferences/com.google.chrome.plist
      Add the following contents in it:
      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> 
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> 
<plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
        <key>ExtensionInstallWhitelist</key> 
        <array> 
            <string>kpoecbkildamnnchnlgoboipnblgikpn</string> 
        </array> 
    </dict> 
</plist>
    2. Restart Chrome.
    3. To verify that the policy was applied, enter the following Chrome URL in the address bar:

      chrome://policy

      If the policy does not appear, try running the following:
      $ sudo killall cfprefsd
      Then restart Chrome.